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Web 2.0: Anyone Can Do It
Delta Kappa Gamma Society International
80th Alpha State Convention
Presented by Debbi Ball
dball@esc17.net (work) espuela2@caprock-spur.com (home)
Web 2.0 tools are becoming more and more available on the Internet and have developed into outstanding
application packages that can be used at home, at school, and on eht ejob. The most wonderful thing about
them is that THEY ARE FREE! But we realize that they are confusing and intimidating to some. The most
commonly used “free” programs are those applications that provide word processing, spreadsheet, database,
presentation, email, and time management services. Openoffice.org, Google, and ZOHO all are popular
programs that can be used by anyone in any situation. Consumers are downloading these programs to use at
home. Schools are using them to help with the budget crunch we all face. And businesses are using them to
help cut their own costs.
In addition to these common programs, there are multitudes of other services for photo/image
manipulation, video editing, book publishing, web design, blogging, twittering, etc. So let’s look at just a
few. It is my goal that these will tweak enough interest and help build confidence in searching for those
applications that will fill your needs and keep money in your bank account.
What exactly is Web 2.0?
You may not even realize it, but you could very well be a part of the Web 2.0 crowd. If you have ever
typed in a book review at amazon.com then you are a part of Web 2.0. Are you one that has posted a clip
on a video site? What about blogging or using an online calculator. Do you have a myspace or facebook
account? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you are a part of Web 2.0. The main feature of Web
2.0 is the interactivity. But there is more. Through Web 2.0 tools and resources, you have access to many
free services that help you be more productive in your personal, educational, or business projects.
OpenOffice Suite
“OpenOffice.org is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets,
presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in many languages and works on all common
computers. It stores all your data in an international open standard format and can also read and write files
from other common office software packages. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for
any purpose.” (http://www.openoffice.org)
Many school districts are utilizing the program to help with expenses. The Microsoft Office suite is very
expensive…especially for the number of licenses required in school labs. Another problem that schools and

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teachers are facing is providing the applications to students for their class work. Microsoft Office does offer
a 60-day trial download, but obviously the time limit is a problem. Through the use of OpenOffice,
students and teachers alike have open access to the programs wherever they have Internet access.
It’s easy to download the OpenOffice Suite. Just go to
www.openoffice.org and click on the link “I want to
download OpenOffice.org.” The big green download
box/button will appear. Just click again.
Of course, as with any open source program, you will be asked to contribute to the program, provide
reviews/feedback, etc. You should see the yellow caution bar appear at the top of your screen. Click to
download the file.
You have the option of running the program straight from the download or saving the downloaded
executable file to your computer. I always save to my computer in a Download folder I have in My
Documents on my hard drive. This way I still have the original executable file if I ever need it.
Once the file has downloaded, you are ready to click on the Run button to continue loading the program
onto your computer. Just following through the onscreen steps to unpack and install the files to your
computer.
The first time you open the program, it will take you through the registration wizard. Just follow the online
steps to start using the application. At the finish of the setup, you will be given the opportunity to register
your copy of OpenOffice.org online. It is not required, but registering will give you updates on new
versions, additional extensions such as pdf authoring, and foreign language dictionaries. As with all
application programs, openoffice provides an excellent help tool with guides and tutorials. For additional
help, access your favorite search engine and look for “openoffice tutorials.”

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If you prefer to work online rather than downloading a program to your computer, there are two excellent
applications: Google and ZOHO.
Google
As you can see by the screen shot below, Google offers quite a few different applications. Some of the most
popular are Earth, Finance, Blogger, Calendar, Docs, Gmail, Picasa, and Reader.
Google Docs
When you first click on the docs link, you will be
directed to the Home page. On the left is a panel
showing you documents that you have already
created, documents that you have opened before, and
documents that have been shared by someone else.
Another point about Google docs: you can share your
documents online.
Either choose a document to open and continue
working or click on the New button to create a new
document.
If you choose to create a new document, you have the options of creating a
document, presentation, spreadsheet, form, or even a new folder. You also
have the option of creating a document from a predesigned template.
At this time, Google does not offer a database application. But the word is out
that it is coming soon and will be called Google Base. According to some

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reports, it was visible earlier on, but was removed from the site. If you search through Google for “google
database” it comes up. Your information is stored on the google site, just like your documents and other
information. Of course, this is a concern for several people.
Notice in the window below that the Google doc interface looks very similar to application programs that
you are familiar with.
You have the usual options of setting different styles for your text, alignment, bulleted lists, numbered lists,
fonts, font color, highlighting, indenting, tables, etc. Save your document and it will be available for you in
the home screen.
Use the save feature to save your feature online. You also have the option of
downloading it to your computer in a more popular format such as a Word
document, pdf file, text file, web page, or a rich text format file.
Google docs gives you several options in sharing your documents: you can share the
document with others online, send as an attachment in your email, or publish it as a
web page. How easy is that? Notice there is also the option to preview the web page
before publishing it.
Google Calendar
How would you like to have access to an online calendar wherever and
whenever you have Internet access? Google offers an excellent online
calendar for that very purpose. You can also set up your Google
Calendar to automatically sync with your Outlook calendar if desired.
Just choose the Calendar feature from the Google More menu and follow the steps to set up your calendar.

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Clicking on the Settings link in the top right corner of the calendar window will allow you to personalize
your calendar to fit your own needs.
Other Google features
Now that you have practiced with a couple of the favorites, go ahead and try out any of the others.
Here is a shot of my iGoogle home page. I love it and have those features that I use the most often.
Notice the weather feature, the calendar thumbnail, Date & Time feature, Gmail inbox, and Google Reader
that displays my subscribed RSS feeds. You can even change the banner along the top to fit your own
moods.
For all the features available in Google, just click on the more
option at the top of the screen.

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ZOHO Applications
“The Zoho Office Suite is a Web-based online
office suite containing word processing,
spreadsheets, presentations, databases, note-taking,
wikis, CRM, project management, invoiceing and
other applications developed by AdventNet Inc., an
Indian-based company. It was launched in 2005
with a web-based word processor. Additional
products, such as spreadsheets and presentations
were incorporated later into Zoho.
“Although some applications, such
as Zoho CRM and Zoho Projects,
require a fee to be used, Zoho
maintains that it has a commitment
to ‘maintaining a free tier of entry-
level applications with free
registration.”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZO
HO)
Notice that the ZOHO writer has an export feature that allows you to save your document in a variety of
popular formats including Word 07, older Word formats, web page, rich text format, and pdf.

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Blogging
“’Blog’ is an abbreviated version of quot;weblog,quot; which is a term used to describe web sites that maintain an
ongoing chronicle of information. A blog is a frequently updated, personal website featuring diary-type
commentary and links to articles on other Web sites. Blogs range from the personal to the political, and can
focus on one narrow subject or a whole range of subjects.
“Many blogs focus on a particular topic, such as web design, home staging, sports, or mobile technology.
Some are more eclectic, presenting links to all types of other sites. Others are more like personal journals,
presenting the author's daily life and thoughts.” (http://codex.wordpress.org/Introduction_to_Blogging)
The possibilities of using blogs can be endless. As the description above states, you can set up a blog as a
personal journal, adding messages, trip logs, pictures, links to other sites, etc. In the classroom, teachers
can incorporate blogs into their lessons as online assignments. Students can use a blog as a journal to record
answers to discussion or essay questions. Collaboration can occur within the classroom or across the globe.
The only problem is the filtering that occurs in schools.
Google offers a popular blogging tool called Blogger at www.blogger.com.
Twittering
“Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other
users' updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters, displayed on the user's
profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers). Senders can
restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users can send and
receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications. The service is
free to use over the Internet, but using SMS may incur phone service provider fees.”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter)

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I set up a twitter for this workshop to fill you in on any new information. After you have set up a twitter
account for yourself, you may “request” to follow my twitter named DKGAlphaState. We will learn how to
use this tool together.
Sharing Your PowerPoint presentations
Remember what I said earlier about us being an interrelated society? If you have a great PowerPoint
presentation that you would like to share with the world, go to www.slideshare.net. There you can upload
and share your presenations and Word documents and share them publicly or privately. It even allows you
to add audio to make a webinar. The Web site offers a tour with complete instructions on how to start
uploading your projects.
Resources
openoffice.org http://www.openoffice.org
Tutorials for openoffice http://www.tutorialsforopenoffice.org/
ZOHO Office Suite Applications http://www.zoho.com/
Google http://www.google.com
Blurb Book Publishers www.blurb.com
Twitter www.twitter.com
A Twitter Basics Primer http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2009/03/05/a-twitter-use-primer/
25+ Incredibly Useful Twitter Tools http://tinyurl.com/4legxe
Free Technology for Teachers (blog) http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
http://www.teachertube.com
Slide Share http://www.slideshare.net/
Google’s Blogger www.blogger.com
Blog Basics http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/blog/blogbasics.cfm
EduBlogs: Free blogs for teachers and students http://www.edublogs.org/
Contact Information
Debbi Ball
Work:
Spur High School, PO Box 550, Spur, TX 79370
806-271-3385 x2005 / dball@esc17.net
Home:
509 Trumbull Ave, Spur, TX 79370
806-271-3228 / espuela2@caprock-spur.com